Covenant of Heroes

“You are all victims of falsehoods and lies. Bound as slaves by the government you strive so hard to please. I condemn you , and I condemn them. By no means do I hold myself blameless for this, as I have, just as you have, stood by and watched. Watched as the University hunted down unregistered mages and stripped them of their magic. Watched as the Church moved against dissidents and protestors, trapping them forever in their shining Spires. And watched as the Shield sent soldiers against citizens, as it seized private goods, and confiscated “contraband”, only to issue it to its own. No longer will I stand idle and watch. Before you now, I stand as a man of conviction, one who will not bow down before evil any longer. When they took my son to prison, they told me that he was leading riots against the powers that be. So I let them take him, because I am a man of the law. Now I know that I did little more than betray my own flesh and blood, and in doing so, help them in their quest to destroy me and mine. I have brought these men to trial for seeking to kill me, but it is someone else I should have called here instead.

Prince Syler! Are you listening? I have spoken to your lackeys, and I know that you seek my death! However, I will not go quietly and I will not go quickly! These ‘heroes’ are servants of the Prince, and on his order did they come to my residence with murder on their minds. At long last, Covenant moves to destroy House Ritani. The Dragon arrests my son, then the Shadow begins to confiscate my goods. The Prince sends assassins, while the Mind begins to destroy my name. While he is merely a man, Baraghir Ritani will fight you to the last!

Look around, all of you. See the cracks in the walls, see the blood leaking through those crevices. I accuse the leaders of Covenant, your glorious Founders, of treachery and deceit. The Dragon Above, I accuse of the crimes of repression and intimidation! In turn, I accuse his accomplice, the Shadow Below, of manipulation and extortion! Those are obvious crimes, and they require no explanation. However, I also accuse the Mind Among. His is the greatest crime of them all. His is the crime of false memory, and the crime of misplaced history. It is his task to bear witness to the journey of Covenant, and to remember. But he does not always choose to remember. The stories of Covenant are his alone, and hidden in his archives, none of us know them. How old is this city? How many live here? Who was the last to challenge the rule of the Founders? Are they gone, forgotten, buried over time, sparks in the night snuffed out by insidious machinations? Be remembered! If I should die tomorrow by knives in the night, remember my name and do not fear to speak it aloud.

You, Explorers, should be ashamed. Your once mighty guild, travelers and adventurers, reduced to petty enforcers of the Dragon Above, fighting for the scraps that fall beneath his wings. Look to your history! Fight the influence of the Mind and darkness of the Shadow, and see the truth that lies hidden from you!”

To Everyone Who Participated in The Capture of Raylin: I had an idea for a method of writing adventure logs that could be interesting. Participate if you want, but don’t feel obligated. Alex, you should feel free to participate as well.

I’ve broken the adventure into sections (and provided a brief outline of each section, as a reminder of some of the things that occured). Each player can take a section and write a “chapter” of the adventure log. Write however you want: simple expository prose of what occurred; detailed narrative prose from your character’s perspective; a short poem tangentially related to the section. Whatever you feel like works. I’ve written an intro to the adventure, to try and give an example of what a section might be like…

BEFORE you start writing follow these steps to choose the section. This guarantees we don’t have two people write the same section:

Pick an unclaimed section.

Edit the article and add a (+[your name]) tag next to the section title. See SPIDER TIME below, for an example of me claiming a section.

Write the article however you want (in this thing, in word, whatever). Don’t feel like you have to rush. Leave the ’....’ section dividers in place until all the sections are done.

The Capture of Raylin

Standing in a field under the mid-day sun, he admired the armor resting comfortably on his shoulders. It was perfect; pristine. The thin loops of chain mirrored the armor of the men standing on the hillside with him. The calm of the day washed over him: the soft blue of the sky; the clouds meandering slowly to the west; the breeze moving listlessly through his hair.

The thought shifted, and suddenly combat was around him. An axe moved narrowly past his head. His armor was no longer perfect. It was badly damanged, in some places bent so badly it was nearly falling off; blood ran down the breastplate, dribbling its way to the earth below. He didn’t know how much was his.

Again the thought shifted; for him the battle was over. Lying on his back, he stared up at the sun being slowly obscured by a small cloud. It’s yellow rays overwhelmed the edges of the cloud, causing it to glow brightly around the edges. He smiled. The moment was punctured by a sword being driven down into his chest.

Gryve shuddered. It wasn’t often that he thought of his own death. Still, after all these years he wished he didn’t think of it at all. Pushing the thought aside, he looked at the little slip of paper sitting before him. It demanded his presence at the Spire to meet with an Arbiter of the Church of the Umbral Shroud.

I guess this is when I’m supposed to convert. They think I’m going to just give my life to The Shadow Who Waits Below? The life given to me by The Queen?

The meeting wasn’t going to be pleasant, but there was no point in refusing the summons. If the church wanted to speak with him, they were going to find a way.

....

COURT-YARD EXPERIENCE (+noah)

Perrin shares drinks with Gryve.

Saraii remains distant.

A revenant priest enters. It’s an arbiter named Ralesh.

Ralesh asks them to bring in Raylin, dead or alive. Gives them a scroll of Gentle Repose to cast on Raylin. Raylin has been a thorn in the side of civil society for too long, and has been a major player in the black-market.

Ralesh gives each member of the party a sigil to indicate we have been deputized by the Church. He says he doesn’t want too much Shield involvement.

....

THIRD WARD ADVENTURES [+Claudia]

The Church of the Umbral was a bother but it was helpful in some cases. This time it seemed they were actually a use to Saraii, though it came with something that she would have to deal with; The three taller figures who loomed over her in more ways than one. As they made their way to the Third Ward she could see the mix of breeds slowly turn into one race, the elves. They were numerous, their glances frowning as they made their way to the center.

The Revenant broke apart from them for a moment to fetch a map of the estates, the crowd parting away as he headed towards the Shield. Perrin, knowing the streets, went to investigate leaving Saraii and Amata together. When the party finally found the Bard and his informant a tall Drow walked back. The civilian said that the Drow was from one of the Floating Estates. The party’s ears perked, and they immediately begun to follow.

The Drow walked into a small Inn, one that was full of gruff characters. The smell of spilt ale and old dinners wafted through the room, the lunch crowd just setting in. The Drow and his friend, a tall human, walked towards the back booth and sat down, starting their conversation in hushed tones. “We should have someone covering the door. I’ll use some words of friendship on our new friend. ” Perrin told them, pointing to Amata and Saraii before he started to make his way through the inn.

Gryve adjusted his hood over his head before heading to the bar, picking up a two droughts of ale. He could already tell that Perrin’s conversation wasn’t going smoothly when the Drow showed his long blade. He slid over the ground effortlessly, sitting at the booth beside the conversation. The small Dwarf looked startled, but as Gryve placed the alcohol in front of him he raised his eyebrows.

“I’m flattered lad, but I am not interested in you.” He said, his fingers inching towards the alcohol, looking at him, and then the tankard again. The Revenant gave a smile before motioning across the bar towards Saraii. “It’s from the Halfling in the back.”

Across the bar the MindSpark could not help but chuckle slightly. “Wink towards the Drawf.” Amata hinted to Saraii, which was only greeted by a confused smile.

The Drawf ‘s broad lips spread in a bashful grin, the small pieces food slipping from his beard, “The short one?” He asked, his eyes moving downwards as the Revenant started to slip more gold coins on the table.

The conversation was taking a turn for the worse. Already the Drow was looking at the man skeptically. “We are just trying to have a private lunch, I suggest you leave.” The Drow said as he turned back to the table. Perrin finally pulled up his hand, showing the sign of the Arbiter.

Perrin had obviously did the wrong thing, the Drow rushing forward and stabbing his short blade into the man’s ribs. “Protect me!” The Drow yelled to the humans around the bar. The battle started quickly, the civilians breaking for the sides of the wall as Saraii and the Amata moved towards the battle. The Revenant had already jumped over the bar and pulled his scythe forward, glasses and plates knocked to the ground. “Help protect the Halfling and she’ll be very grateful!” He yelled, the dwarf drunkenly standing up and shoving his way to the battle. The fighting was a constant stir of movement and sound, the room becoming louder as the Bard begun to sing.

Amata received a hard hit to its chest, the gem starting to crack before she collapsed to the ground. The party was getting hit hard, and as Saraii knelt down to dip her blade with poison she noticed the Revenant look very closely at the Drow. His black eyes narrowed, the red pupils shifting slightly as if reading the creature’s soul. “We’re not killing the Drow, we need him alive. Right?” She asked the Revenant as he adjusted his blade. He nodded a response, but it wasn’t too convincing. The bleeding and poisoned Drow stumbled backwards, and the newly recovered Amata sent a spell that knocked him down hard.

The Drow unleashed a circle of darkness around him as the party focused their attention on the human. Gryve was the only one who entered after the Drow, and after a few moments the dusk cleared. The Drow lay on the ground, a slice across his neck. “The Poison musthavekilled him.” Gryve observed, turning to see the human run. Once again the air seemed to stop around the Revenant, his eyes narrowing in understanding.

The human threw himself through the crowd of watchers, but Saraii was after him. After a quick stab he was weakened, though he only surrendered after Amata floated over the crowd and Perrin dived in afterward into the bystanders. “I’m just a bodyguard!” He cried, pulling out a white scroll. As Gryve looked it over Perrin stowed his blade, walking over to the Inn keeper to try and calm things down.

He was only greeted by an unhappy bar tender. “You kill in my bar; blood is everywhere, what am I supposed to do with all these bodies? You are going to have to pay me compensation ‘friend!’” He yells, his face flushed red with fury. As his hand waved outwards towards the room Perrin agreed to help out, explaining about his own bar (Insert Spiel).

Saraii wandered away from the party to loot from the body. Her fingers drifted over the Drow’s clothing, trying to pick the important scraps of embroidery of finery. Nothing too expensive and worth taking in the pockets, she had already lifted enough from the swordsman. Eventually she checked his thin hands, seeing a ring. She plucked it from his finger, throwing the hand down and looking over the thin golden band.

It glowed with a magic, and that was good enough for her. She slipped the ring over her finger, and immediately the world was gone. The ground felt like it fell out from under her, her head spun, her stomach flipping as it became dark.

Amata watched the Halfling disappear, a smile of amusement on her lips. She’ll possibly return, she thought to herself, not wanting to bother the others with the information was Perrin finished his conversation with the bar tender.

-* Party arrives in the third ward.

Gryve goes to the shield and gets a map of three floating mannors owned by Drow.

[I seem to have forgotten this bit; awkward] We see a suspicious Drow somehow? We follow him to a bar, and awkwardly somehow enters before he does.-

Perrin gets the bar tender to point out the Drow.

Gryve moves into position in a nearby booth. Makes friends with a Dwarf by offering booze and hinting that Saraii was interested in him.

Perrin approaches and begins talking to the Draw. At some point he indicates the sigil given by Ralesh.

The Drow stands and stabs him.

A fight ensues; Several body guards stand and fight.

Minions popped left and right.

The Drow is finally knocked down. The main bodyguard (specifically unnamed by the DM, though notibly marked for death relatively soon) books it.

Gryve cuts the throat of the Drow.

The bodyguard stops fighting and surrenders. He is arrested and pressed for information.

Saraii grabs a ring from the Drow. Nobody notices. She puts it on and instantly disappears. Am—ata notices.

Perrin smooths things over with the bar-tender.

Gryve smooths things over with the Shield that investigate.

The party (minus Saraii) walk with the guards back to an outpost and interrogate the body specifically unnamed by the DM, though notibly marked for death realtively soon. They learn that he was working for the Lenir family (a rich Drow family, living on a suspiciously floating mannor).

Saraii removes the ring, and reappears in the bar.

She eventually finds the party.

The party decides to rest for a while until the ring can daily the party back to the Lenir estate.

Discovery of the spider artifact that is a test of faith in the belief of Lolth. True believers can carry the statue without being lifted.

Saraii gets bit by the artifact.

Gryve notices Saraii is marked for death / in possession of a piece(?) of the Raven Queen. Awkward conversation ensues.

Magehand the spider artifact into the statue.

Trap door revealed!

....

SPIDER TIME (+ noah)

The walkway was dark and cramped. The group moved cautiously down the corridor; as they moved forward they could see the light in front of them glinting and shifting in strands that ran toward the walls of the caverns. Several things in this cavern would unnerve most people: the lack of light; the nearness of the walls on all sides; the mild stench of decay. To his advantage Gryve was not most people. Being dead generally imbued him with a resilience to the macabre. It did not, however, protect him from spiders.

With each step forward, it was becoming increasingly obvious that spiders – quite large ones in fact – were in the very near future of the group. The web grew more distinct. A quiet chittering began, a terrifying gnashing of fangs, and soft tapping of altogether too many feet on the rock walls; soon it was all that could be heard.

Gryve handled his scythe nervously; Amata maintained her cold stony exterior; Perrin had a listing smile on his face; Saraii, well she had a plan. Stepping to the front of the group she pulled a flaming dagger and hurled it toward the web. The dagger disappeared into the darkness, leaving a trail of light that hung on the retnea for just a moment. Half a moment later, there was a noticable lack of a clatering noise as the dagger failed to hit the ground.

“Run!” called Saraii as she moved back to the entrence of the gate. Gryve and Amata turned to follow, but Gryve hesitated as Perrin stood fast. “Now, do that…that thing you do to get the spider off the statue,” Saraii told Amata as the reached the entrance.

But Perrin has not come with us. Saraii was still getting used to Amata’s thoughts forming themselves in her mind. Should I do that, I may have no further employment. The smell of heat followed them out of the entrance, followed shortly by a stronger burning smell. Then a shrill, unholy scream, followed by the clashes and cursing of nearby combat.

Dammit, thought Saraii (of her own accord this time), put together a brilliant plan, and leave it to the men to fuck it up. She followed Amata back down the corridor and into combat.

Spiders.

Fire.

Some party indecision about whether we should close up the wall and let the spiders burn, or go straight into combat.

Fighting ensues.

....

RAYLIN TIME [+CMBoyd]

Walk in on Raylin and Drow doing something with the crystal.

Brief discussion with Raylin.

Saraii goes to grab her sister’s amulet.

Gryve attempts to touch Raylin, combat begins.

Perrin intimidates the Drow.

Gryve becomes a phasing, insubstantial creature with wings.

Saraii falls unconcious.

Amata is telekenetic juggling everything for the lulz.

Saraii dies, and is resurrected by something akin to the Raven Queen.

The portal is opened; Amata keeps Raylin from running through.

The crystal is getting explody.

Perrin tries to move through and hits a clear wall. Saraii has the same experience moments later.

Amata stuns Raylin and the remaining Drow.

Saraii and Perrin are trying to break through the ward.

Gryve grabs Raylin.

A piece of the floor of the floating mannor falls away.

Amata pulls Saraii through the floor, and dives after her, catching her.

Gryve flies out the same whole in the floor, dropping Raylin along the way.

Perrin smashes a whole into the ward, and goes through the portal. No one else notices

The mannor is falling apart / crashing.

Amata gets pegged by a rock, goes limp, dropping Saraii.

Saraii tosses on some magic boots and is fine.

Gryve flies to Amata, catches her and administers a potion.

A little bit of juggling each other on the way down. Sadly, no one is able to keep Raylin from hitting the ground at (more than) full force.

A PICNIC IN HELL

TO THE GUARDIAN’S GATE

A high priest of the Shadow Below meets the group and escorts them into the Guardian’s Gate.

The party traverses an extreme set of stairs to reach the teleport chamber.

Teleport!

....

ON THE OTHER SIDE

Party finds itself in an outpost on another plane.

The priest finally informs them of the mission. The party is to recover a white mask from this plane. Scrying has turned up little information on the mask, except that it is very powerful. The party can’t come back home until it has the mask.

The heroes try to gain some knowledge about the plane they’re on.

....

MAN’S WORST FRIEND

Traversing the barren terrain, the party reaches a ravine.

Hellhounds attack the party. They break through the front ranks and surround the more fragile members.

The party manages to defeat the Hellhounds, but is confronted by Baron Rosier, a powerful figure in this plane of Hell.

The Baron insists on taking the party to Dis, the central city on this layer of Hell.

The party marches with him to Dis, witnessing horrors along the way. Some suffer damage to their consciences as a result.

....

DISSED

The Baron brings the party before Hyborem, the Balrog who rules Dis, and The Eater of Dreams, a powerful servant in Hell.

He offers the mask and safe passage back home in exchange for doing three favors for him.

After some short negotiation, the party agrees to do the favors for Hyborem.

....

KISS FROM A DEAD MAN

The party stumbled across a chapel, empty and without worshipers.

Inside, a man’s head sat on a podium, a white mask covering it.

Taking a risk, Perrin pressed his face to the mask, and it instantly jumped from the disembodied head to his own.

The now-maskless head began to scream, and painful visions filled the mind of the party members. In an unsuccesful attempt to stop the screaming, Lorelei stabbed the head with a dagger.

The magical ward surrounding the chapel fell, and a gargoyle appeared outside. A servant of Hyborem, the gargoyle presented the party with a Hellhound, with which to track down the next task.

....

A ROMP THROUGH THE FOREST

Thia tracks the quarry via a scrap of clothing found at the edge of the forest.

A child is discovered, which quickly attempted to flee. Beyeran immobilized it without hurting it.

When the party tried to tie up the child, its furious father crashed through the brush and attacked the party.

Thia jumps Perrin as he is distracted, and takes the mask from him. She reverts to her natural elven form.

While attempting to euthanize the child, Thia tore into its leg causing the mother to also engage the party.

The party fought and brutally killed the family. Heads were removed, bodies were buried, hellhound was discouraged from eating corpses.

They turned in the heads to the Gargoyle, accomplishing task #2. In return, the gargoyle presented the party with a crystal for their next task.

....

HONORBOUND

Following the road back to Dis, the party came to the entrance hall of a palace.

An immortal Paladin guarded the hall against the demon hordes, bound to the location by an oath. He revealed himself and blinded the party, which asked him to leave with the party.

While the party was blind, Perrin took the mask back from Thia.

The paladin refused to leave and judged each individual party member. Those found wanting were smote.

The crystal Lorelei was holding reacted violently near the paladin, and tore itself from her grasp. It charged the paladin who managed to deflect it.

The paladin accused the party of treachery and initiated combat.

Lorelei drove the crystal into the paladin’s chest, destroying him and driving her insane.

....

DEAL WITH THE DEVIL

Returning the Eater of Dreams, the party asks permission to leave. Lorelei stays behind to talk again with Hyborem about a private matter.

She makes a deal with the Eater of Dreams to spread a mysterious dust inside the Covenant outpost in exchange for returning the life of her deceased child.

Lorelei is teleported back to the outpost ahead of the party, who are traveling on foot.

....

AN INSIDE JOB

Upon entering the outpost, Lorelei distributes the dust given to her. It collects on, and seems to disable the giant crystal powering the outpost’s teleport circle. Runes are disrupted, and the crystal is coated in a tough layer of the powder. Her child is returned to her by the eater of dreams.

With the crystal disabled, the forces of Hell are able to locate and breach the walls of the outpost. A battle ensues in which many soldiers and mages lose their lives.

Seeking to restore the ward, Beyeran cleanses the powder from the crystal. The ward reactivates, preventing further troops from entering the outpost.

The party cleans up the surviving demons, but is unable to stop the Eater of Dreams from escaping. Among the dead is the high priest and his bodyguard.

The remaining mage manages to restore the runes guiding the teleportation ritual.

The party escapes back to Covenant, along with the child, the surviving mage and the Iron Guard.